Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a former president of Nigeria, stated that until Nigerians are prepared to take the required steps, there would never be peaceful elections in the country.
He accepted the Fellow of Peace Institute (fpi) award after speaking at the International Day of Peace held by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) in Abuja.
According to Jonathan, the event chairman, three of the top ten conflict-ridden nations in the world today are in sub-Saharan Africa.
“The fight for leadership is the main factor contributing to conflict in Africa. That is the reason Nigeria worries me so much. Nigeria will continue to be a conflict-ridden country until we cultivate a culture of peace. And the nation will explode in flames if we are not vigilant.
He emphasized that technology, military action, or the justification of immoral acts as political maneuvering are not necessary for peaceful elections.
Although elections in Senegal were held in school classrooms rather than using technology, all parties involved—including the electorate, voters, and the electoral umpire—were prepared to act morally.
“We talk about technology in Nigerian elections, but peaceful elections will never occur in Nigeria unless the human mind is prepared to do what is required.”
Jonathan pleaded with the administration to stop undervaluing the Nigerian military by assigning them to community service projects. Additionally, he urged politicians to desist from characterizing immoral behavior as political, stating, “Cease justifying what is wrong as politics.” It is not politics, it is evil.The former president pleaded with INEC, the courts, and Nigerian voters to fulfill their respective roles.
In Nigeria, we all need to start thinking differently. Our entire way of life should be centered around peace in order to foster a culture of peace. As a country, we are forced to create a culture of peace, according to Jonathan.
Dr. Jonathan was conferred Fellow of Peace Institute for his exceptional expression of peace via his deed of conceding loss to former president, Muhammadu Buhari, in the 2015 elections, therefore, becoming the first civil administration to transit power peacefully to an opposition party in Nigeria. Additionally, he has participated in numerous elections as an election observer and mediated disputes in several countries across Africa.
His honor comes before that of General Yakubu Gowon, the first person to receive it in 2023 and a former head of state.
The successful and ongoing peace process between the two competing border villages in the states of Ebonyi and Benue is a result of the efforts of Hon. Eze Nwachukwu, a representative of the National Assembly, and his “Community Peace Building” initiatives.
“People like calm, but they are unaware of the costs associated with it. The world teeters on the brink of nuclear conflict. Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, the director general of IPCR, stated, “As individuals, groups, the government, and a people, we must reject the culture of violence and embrace the culture of peace.”
